Are you thinking about buying a water distiller for your home?
Maybe you've been buying distilled water, but you've had it with hauling jugs from the store. It's tiring, and it's expensive.
And then there are all those empty jugs and bottles to get rid of.
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If you had your own distiller, you could have an endless supply of pure distilled water without having to leave home. And in the long run, you'd save yourself a lot of money.
One distiller that you should consider is the Megahome Countertop Water Distiller Model MH943TWS with the glass collection bottle. It's one of the most popular water distillers for home use, and for good reason. It's well-made, reasonably priced, and has outstanding performance.
What features does it have? How do you use it? How much does it cost and where can I get one? In this review, I'll answer these questions and more to help you decide if this is the best water distiller to meet your needs.
If you're in a hurry, you can skip to your most pressing question in the quick navigation below. Or just keep scrolling down to read the whole review.
Just want to know the price?
What are the features of the Megahome Countertop Water Distiller?
High Quality Materials
The boiling chamber, cover, and condensing coils are made of high grade stainless steel. The outside of the distiller is enamel coated steel, not plastic. So you know it's strong and durable.
Water goes through a glass-lined nozzle into a one gallon glass collection bottle. The lid and handle are made of food grade polypropylene.
The distilled water never touches plastic - a big concern to a lot of people these days.
Ease of Use
Making pure distilled water couldn't be any easier. Just fill the boiling chamber with water, put the collection bottle in place, and push a button to start the process.
The distiller automatically shuts off when the chamber is empty.
Compact Design
The unit is lightweight and doesn't take up a lot of counter space. That also makes it easy for you to take it with you when you travel.
Why make distilled water at home?
There are plenty of reasons that someone might want to have a home water distiller. Here are just a few:
- for CPAP therapy machines
- for removing impurities and bad taste from drinking water
- for preventing mineral buildup in appliances like humidifiers, essential oil diffusers, and irons
- for watering house plants and for seed germination
- for making baby formula
- for better tasting ice cubes, coffee and tea
- for Neti Pots (You want to have super clean water so you don't contaminate your sinuses.)
- for car batteries and radiators
- for emergencies. (If your town has "boil water" advisory, you can make clean safe drinking water in the distiller.)
- for making colloidal silver
How does distillation work?
Water distillation is one of the most effective ways to purify water. Instead of using a filter to take contaminants out of water, it removes the water from the toxins.
Here's how it's done...
The distiller brings the water to a boil, and the water turns into steam. Bringing water to the boiling point kills biological pathogens like viruses, bacteria, and protozoa.
Boiling doesn't destroy chemical toxins like minerals and heavy metals. But, as the water boils and turns to steam, it leaves those contaminants behind.
As the steam cools, it turns back into water. That water goes into the collection container. But now the water is clear and pure, with no contaminants at all.
The bad stuff that's left behind in the boiling chamber is then washed or wiped away.
How do you use the Megahome water distiller?
It's very simple. You just pour water into the boiling chamber and put the lid on. Plug it in, arrange the glass bottle under the nozzle to catch the water, and push the button.
YouTube video by Healthy Consumer
How much distilled water can I make in a day with the Megahome?
This distiller has a capacity of one gallon. The reservoir holds a gallon, and the collection jug holds a gallon.
It takes about 5.5 hours to make one gallon of distilled water. That means you could make as much as 4 gallons a day.
Does it remove fluoride from the water?
Yes! Distillation removes most, if not all of the fluoride in water.
Does it take lead out of the water?
Yes! Water distillers are one of the best ways to remove lead from water.
Does a home water distiller take out all the beneficial minerals?
It's true that distillation leaves you with water that has no minerals in it at all. Whether this is a good thing or bad thing is up for debate.
Some say that most of the minerals we need comes from the food we eat, so drinking distilled water does no harm. And some question whether the type and negligible amount of minerals in water does much good anyway.
But if you are concerned about the lack of minerals in the water, there are ways to remedy it.
You can add a small amount of Himalayan pink salt or Celtic sea salt to the water. Or add a squeeze of lemon juice to a glass of water to give it a boost of beneficial minerals.
Another option is to use a product like Concentrace Trace Mineral Drops to remineralize the distilled water. (Check availability at Amazon here.)
[See Can Drinking Distilled Water Benefit Your Health? for more information about the pros and cons of distilled water.]
How much electricity does it use?
The Megahome distiller is rated at 580 watts. It takes 5 to 6 hours to distill a gallon of water.
So let's say it takes 5.5 hours. Using an online electricity bill calculator, we can figure it out. If your electric billing rate is 12 cents per kilowatt-hour, it's going to cost about $0.38 to make one gallon.
At one gallon per day, that works out to about $11.65 per month and $139.82 per year.
That's still a lot cheaper than buying bottled distilled water.
What comes in the box?
When you order one of these units, you'll get everything you need to get started. That includes the distiller itself plus the glass collection bottle.
They'll also give you a package of citric acid residue cleaner and 6 charcoal filter sachets.
Why does it have an activated charcoal filter?
Some tap water has VOCs that make it through the distillation process. The charcoal filter ensures that all VOCs are removed from the water. It's possible that your water doesn't have these VOCs and you don't even need the charcoal filter.
How often do you need to change the filter?
You should change the charcoal filter after 30 gallons. The unit comes with six filters, and you can usually find multi-packs.
Click here to check the availability and price at Amazon.
Does it come fully assembled?
It comes mostly assembled. You'll need to put together the glass bottle and handle and attach the nozzle with the charcoal filter. It's simple, and the user's manual has detailed instructions. It will only take you about 5 to 10 minutes to get it all set up.
How do you clean a Megahome water distiller?
To clean the distiller, you fill the boiling chamber with water and add a tablespoon or two of the citric acid cleaner that comes with it. Then you turn it on and let it heat up for about 20 minutes. Unplug it and let the water cool down. Pour out the water and wipe out any residue that's left.
If you want to save a little money, you can add 1 teaspoon of the citric acid plus 1/4 cup white vinegar to the water. Or you can try just adding 1/2 cup white vinegar.
How often you need to clean it depends on how much you use it and also on the condition of your tap water. It's best not to let it go too long or it will be harder to clean.
If you use it daily, you might want to give it a cleaning once a week to avoid a lot of buildup.
How much counter space does it take up?
The distiller is about 10" by 10". With the glass collection bottle in place, it's about 19 inches long.
Distilled water makes great coffee!
What are the pros and cons of the Megahome distiller?
I always like to check out what other people have to say about a product. Online reviewers tend to be brutally honest, which is a good thing!
Of the many reviews of this distiller that I read, the overwhelming majority were positive.
Here's a summary of what buyers had to say:
Pros
Cons
Any other tips for using the Megahome?
Tip #1: Don't let the water boil completely away if you can avoid it.
If you do, the residue on the sides and bottom of the chamber get cooked on. That makes it much harder to clean. Instead of relying on the automatic shut off, it's best to set a timer and unplug the distiller before the last few ounces of water boil away.
Tip #2: Start with hot water to speed up the process.
The distiller has to bring the water to a boil, so if you fill it with hot tap water, it'll cut down on the total time.
Where can I buy a Megahome water distiller?
I found several places online where you can buy this distiller, so you might want to check around.
I usually recommend Amazon because they have a great reputation as an online retailer. They have secure ordering, and they have quick and easy returns.
Does it come with a warranty?
Yes, it has a 1 year warranty on parts and labor plus a 30-day return policy.
Verdict
This water distiller is a great option if you're looking for an economical way to purify your water at home. It's built to last, and it's easy to use.
The main drawback is that it depends on electricity. If the power goes out, you won't be able to use it. If this is a concern, you could consider having a backup system that doesn't use electricity, like the Big Berkey. It's not a distiller, but it does filter out most contaminants.
I like the fact that the Megahome is made of stainless steel and glass, so the water never touches plastic. You can be sure that the water is free of all contaminants. It's good for you, and it's good for the environment.
Sounds good? You can get a Megahome water distiller and start making your own pure distilled water at home in no time.
Click here to head on over to shop at Amazon.
If this doesn't seem to be the right distiller for you, and you want to check out other options, please see my review of the best water distillers for home use.
Last Updated on April 4, 2022
I have been using my distiller for almost a year and it works great. I clean it once a month and there is no buildup when I am done cleaning it. Lately it has started making a low popping noise that sounds like water boiling. I didn’t hear it before except occasionally at the very end of the cycle. It still seems to work perfectly. Is there something I should do before my one year warranty is up?
Hi Linn! I suggest you call the manufacturer’s customer service and ask them about it.
I heard people review this saying that there is brown stuff coming out the filtered side and also that because its stainless steel type which includes chromium and nickel content, that these metals come out in the final product. Can you comment on this?
Hi Mish! I haven’t heard about these issues before. I would like to see some documentation. If you have any, please share. Thanks.
How many years does this system usually last?
Hi, Angie! Well, that’s going to depend in large part on how often you use it. It has a one year warranty, but I’ve seen people say that they’ve been using it daily for two years or more, and it’s still going strong.
If it safe to run this unit when away from your home or during the night?
Hi, Stephen! It’s UL approved (I checked the listing at the UL website), so you know it’s manufactured to the highest safety standards. So, I don’t think it’s any riskier to use than any other electrical device. It has an automatic shut off, so you don’t need to worry about it burning up when the water is gone. In short, yes, it’s safe to use when you’re away from home or at night when you’re sleeping. But in the end, you should do what you’re comfortable with.
A lot of good information provided, but I didn’t see anything about how much water is put into the distiller to start the distillation process. And, depending on the amount, how often would the reservoir have to be filled to continue the distillation for one gallon? Thanks.
Hi, Joan! Sorry that wasn’t clear. It has a one gallon capacity. You can put in up to a gallon of water at a time.
Great article, very informative. One thing I would caution against or suggest you take another look at is advising the adding of Lemon juice to distilled water before drinking. I own a distiller and because CO2 is absorbed from the air by the droplets collecting in the reservoir, it forms carbonic acid so the water ends up being slightly acidic (pH~6). Adding lemon juice to this only lowers the pH further. Best bet is to add trace minerals or Himalayan salt like you said